Combined table and amusement game



A ril 15,1930. F. HERNES ET AL 1,755,062

COMBINED TABLE AND AMUSEMENT GAME Filed Jan. 9, 1928 INVENTORS ATTOR N EY I Patented Apr. 15, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COMBINED TABLE AND AMUSEMENT GAME Application filed January 9, 1928.

This invention relates to certain novel improvements in a combined table and amusement game and has for its principal object the provision of an improved construction of this character which will be highly efficient in use and economical to manufacture.

Among the several objects of the invention is to provide a table having a hollow open body providing an area for an amusement game whereby the top of the table may be quickly and easily shifted to expose the game.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a table structure having incorporated therein an amusement game which is so arranged that expeditious access maybe had to the game without disassembling or removing unnecessary parts of the table proper.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a table with a sub-table top and a main table top whereby the main table top may be expeditiously shifted to expose the sub-table top.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, showing the preferred form of construction and in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the invention;

Fig. 2 isa part sectional end view of the invention;

Fig. 3 is a part sectional top plan view of the same;

Fig. 4 is a sectional detail view of the same taken substantially on line 4-4 of Fig. 3.;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional detail view of the same taken substantially on line 5-5 of Fig. 3;

'Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional detail view of the same taken substantially on line 6--6 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary sectional detail view of the same taken substantially on line 7-7 of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a striking 5" rod embodied in the invention.

Serial No. 245,472.

Referringmore particularly to the drawings, the preferred form of construction of our invention includes a base 10 which we prefer to term a sub-table top. This base 10 has its central portion provided on one side with a hollowed open portion llto provide a restricted area for a game structure hereinafter more fully set forth. The base has its under side 12 lined with a veneer 13 whereby to re-enforce the weakened portions of the base by reason of the hollowed out portion. At the corners 14 of the base, beneath the veneering 13 there is mounted metallic plates 15 having formed therein tapped openings 16. Legs 17 are provided for supporting the base plates are secured to the base by means of screws 21.

Secured to the edges 22 of the base are guide strips 23. These guide strips 23 pro vide top flanges 24 which rest upon the edges 22 of the base. The vertical flange portions 25 of these strips provide elongated slots 26 and mounted in these slots 26 are the shanks 27 of studs 28 having enlarged heads 29 adapted to work between the flange portions 25 and the edges 22. These studs 28 are carried by metallic blocks 30 secured to the depending flanges 31 at their inner ends. These blocks 30 are secured to these flanges by means of screws 32. These flanges 31 are secured in a well known manner to a top 33 which constitutes the main table top of the table structure. This table top 33 is divided into two sections 34 and 35 and when these sections are arranged adjacent each other they provide a complete cover for the base or sub-top 10.

The sections 34 and 35 by reason of their slidable connection with the base 10 by means of the blocks 30, studs 28, and guide strips 24, can be moved laterally from each other to expose the restricted area Thisis accom plished by manually sliding the sections away from each other and during this sliding action the studs 28 will work in the slots 26 until the sections have uncovered the hollowed portion 11. The studs will then pro vide a pivotal connection between the sections and the base whereby the sections may be suspended downwardly from the base or sub-top to expose the restricted port-ion. The sections 34 and 35, when in covering position with respect to the hollowed out portion 11 are preferably latched to the base whereby accidental shifting of these sections will be prevented. In one instance this is accomplished by providing recesses 36 in the o (iposite flanges 37 of the sections. The open s1 es of these recesses are closed by plates 38 secured to the flanges 37 by means of screws 40. These plates 38 have openings 39 formed therein and projecting through these openings 39 are finger buttons 41 carried by latch members 42. These latch members have a horizontal portion 43 which projects through openings 44 formed in the plates 38 and these latch members are normally urged into latching position by means of springs 45. The horizontal ortions 43 have hook shaped ends 46 adapte for latched engagement with keeper plates 47 carried by the edges 48 of the base. These hook shaped end portions project through openings 49 formed in the piates 47 and when in latched position with res ect to the plates 47 their hook shaped en s are confined in recesses 50 formed in the edges 48. It will be thus seen that to shift or move the sections 34 and 35 from closin position that the operator must necessari y release the latches from the keeper plates and this is accomplished by pressing the finger on the buttons 41 to slightly pivot the latches against the action of the springs whereby to disengage their hook shaped end portions from the keeper plates. This pivotal movement is permitted by reason of the fact that the latches are supported through the openings 44 of the plates 38.

To guide the sections into close fit with respect to each other when in closed position there is provided on one of the edges 51 spaced pins 52 which are adapted to frictionally project into openings 53 formed in the adjacent edge 51'.

To prevent marring of the sections when suspended from the sides of the base there is provided in the flanges 37 notched portions 54 and these notched portions are lined by a suitable pad 55 to assure against marring of the rubbing or engaging parts.

In the hollowed portion 11 there is preferably arranged a game apparatus. In the present instance this game apparatus includes a field 55. At one end 56 of this field there is mounted a plate 57 having certain points 58 indicated thereon and on which points are adapted to be mounted pins 59 of the ten pin type. On either side of the field 55 there are provided runways 60 and 61. The runways at their corresponding end portions 62 are joined together by a semi-circular runway 63 normally covered by a suitable sheet 64 of any approved material fixed to the base 10 in any well-known manner. This runway 63 is defined on the outer side by means of blocks 65 glued or otherwise secured within the hollow portion 11 and the inner side of this runway together with the runways 60 and 61 are separated from the field by a strip 66. Mounted at the opposite end 67 of the runway 60 is a block 68 having a. top surface 67 inclined downwardly toward the runway '60 whereby'when a ball 69 is mounted on this inclined surface it will be gravitated into and along the runway 60 to be moved through the runways 63 and 61 in a manner to be hereinafter set forth. The runway 61 at its end portion 70 terminates into a semi-circular runway 71 provided by blocks 72 glued or otherwise secured within the hollow portion 11 and covered by a suitable strip 73. The exit portion 74 of the runway 71 is disposed centrally within the field at one end thereof opposite the plate 57.

In use the pins 59 are arranged upon the points 58. The ball 69 is arranged in the outer end of the runway 60. A striking stick 75 with an enlarged head 76 is provided for striking the ball 69 along the runways 60, 63, 61, and 71, whereby the ball will issue from the exit end 74 in the direction of the pins to knock said pins from their points 58. It is intended that each pin represent a number and at the end of the game the totaling of the numbers will determine the greatest number of pins knocked down by one player.

In positioning the striking stick 75 to strike a.

the ball 69 the shank portion 75 thereof rests upon the inclined surface 67 of the block 68 whereby to steady the movement of the stick toward the ball by the user or operator.

From the description herein taken in connection with the accompanying drawing it will be manifest that we provide an article which may be used as an article of furniture, namely, a table, and also converted into an amusement game much to the pleasure of the pl yers or users.

It will also be apparent that by reason of the novel association of the detachable parts of the table that the same may be conveniently packed for shipping or crating.

While we have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying our invention into effect, this is capable of variation and modification, without departing from the spirit of the invention. lVe, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail ourselves of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claim.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

In an article of the class described, a body having a central hollowed open portion to provide an area for a game structure, supporting legs for said body, a sectional top for the body and for covering the hollowed portion, and means providing slidable connection between the sections of the top and the body to permit the sections to be moved from covering position with respect to the hollowed portion to suspended position at opposite corresponding sides of the body, and means for releasably latching the sections in said covering position, said means including yieldably held latch members carried by the sections, keeper plates carried by the opposite corresponding edges of the body, and finger but tons carried by the latch members for moving the latch members from engagement with the keeper plates.

In testimony whereof we aifiX our signatures.

RICHARD WINKLER. FRANK HERNES. 

